Senate letter urges EPA to grow RFS biobased diesel volumes

Clean Fuels Alliance America applauded a bipartisan letter led by key senators July 19 that urges the U.S. EPA “to utilize the upcoming [renewable volume obligations (RVOs)] for 2023 and 2024 to continue to increase volumes of biomass-based diesel” and advanced biofuels.

A total of 24 senators signed the letter, championing the public benefits of continued growth in biodiesel and renewable diesel production and use.

“Farmers and biofuel producers are an essential part of the solution to the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy-security challenges,” the letter states. “They deserve certainty in this policy. A multiyear rule would provide the predictability and market signals that the biomass-based diesel industry needs to grow.”

The letter notes that availability of U.S.-produced biodiesel and renewable diesel generated a 4 percent savings in the price of diesel fuel in 2021—a reduction of 22 cents a gallon at current fuel prices, according to a recent study from the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Service.

“With the increased use of biomass-based diesel, we can advance efforts to diversify our nation’s fuel supply while creating and sustaining jobs, strengthening local economies, generating tax revenues, and improving energy security,” the letter states.

The letter was led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Patty Murray, D-Washington, and John Thune, R-South Dakota.

Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for Clean Fuels, said, “The biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industry is working with farmers and others to sustainably grow and meet America’s demand for cleaner fuels. Our efforts are generating new jobs and economic growth, providing consumers savings at the pump, and achieving emission reductions right now. We appreciate the bipartisan support of Sens. Klobuchar, Grassley, Murray, Thune and others for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard. We encourage the administration to continue its support for homegrown solutions to our economic and environmental challenges by providing a multiyear RFS rule as soon as possible.”

The letter is available for download on cleanfuels.org.

The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in economic activity each year. Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million in economic opportunity. Biodiesel production supports approximately 13 percent of the value of each U.S. bushel of soybeans.